ROME (ITALPRESS) — FIFA is expected to introduce a second phase of “amnesty” at the 2026 World Cup, which will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, by cancelling all yellow cards accumulated after the group stage, in addition to those already wiped after the quarter-finals. This was reported by BBC Sport.
Under current rules, a player who receives two yellow cards in two different matches is automatically suspended for the next game. At present, the yellow card count is reset only once, after the quarter-finals (to prevent a player from missing the final due to a booking received in the semi-final).
With the expansion of the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, an additional round (the round of 32) has been introduced. Therefore, without a rule change, “FIFA fears that many players could find themselves in a difficult situation, having to play up to six matches before the quarter-finals and thus risking missing the semi-final,” the British broadcaster reports.
Under the new rule, a player would be suspended if they receive a yellow card in two of the three group-stage matches, or if they receive two yellow cards in the first three knockout rounds (round of 32, round of 16, and quarter-finals) of the tournament. The change is expected to be approved at the next FIFA Congress, scheduled for Thursday in Vancouver, Canada, about six weeks before the start of the World Cup.
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(ITALPRESS).
